Air Quality Committee

The Town of Golden has long experienced poor winter air quality due to the deep valley topography trapping local emissions. Although conditions have improved over the years, the 2021 BC Lung Foundation Annual State of the Air Report Iisted Golden as one of the communities that had exceeded the annual average PM 2.5 objective for BC.

An emissions inventory completed for Golden in 2006 identified wood burning for residential heating as a major contributor to high particulate matter levels in the community. The relative contribution of various sources of emissions may have changed to some extent with possible increases in the transportation sector. However, wood stoves continue to be a significant contributor to poor air quality in Golden during the winter months. Exposure to fine particulate air pollution is associated with headaches, irritated eyes and throat, increased incidence of irregular heartbeat, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, worsening of conditions like COPD and asthma, irritated airways and reduced lung function.

Scroll down to our press releases to learn more about the health impacts of wood smoke and what you can do to reduce the air pollution in Golden.

If you are interested volunteering for Wildsight Golden’s air quality program, please contact goldenairquality@wildsight.ca.

Community Wood Smoke Reduction Program

The CWSRP is administered by Wildsight Golden for the purpose of improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas pollution. It is supported by grant funding from the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Residents of Golden/CSRD Area A who heat with an older wood stove can apply for a rebate to install an electric heat pump, wood pellet stove or new *CSA/EPA (2020) certified wood stove. Wildsight Golden is partnering with Kardash Plumbing and Heating and Parky’s Heating and Cooling to offer this program. All new appliances must be purchased and installed by either of these participating retailers in order to qualify for the rebate.

The rebates are as follows:

**Heat pump- $1500

***Wood Pellet Stove- $1000

***CSA/EPA certified wood stove- $600

(CSA/EPA certified means that the wood stove meets certain requirements for air pollution reduction and cleaner burning fuel standards).

**If you are applying for a rebate for a heat pump, you are permitted to keep your old wood stove as a backup heat source when the power goes out or when it gets too cold, even if it is not CSA/EPA certified. You will need to sign a pledge stating that you will only use your wood stove in these emergency situations. Different models of heat pumps work well at different temperatures. Talk to your local retailer for more information. However, if you decide to get rid of your old wood stove you can qualify for an additional $300 bounty.

***If you are purchasing a wood pellet stove or CSA/EPA certified wood stove, you will qualify for a rebate only if your old wood stove is not CSA/EPA certified. Your old wood stove will also have to be destroyed and cannot be reused. You must take photos of the old wood stove in place before removal as well as photos of the new stove after it has been installed and submit these with your application for a rebate.

The Air Quality Rebate Voucher must be picked up at Kardash Plumbing & Heating and Parky’s Heating & Cooling, after purchasing your qualifying heating appliance.

Find out more about the program here. Thank you to the BC Lung Association for the funding:

Renovating? Building? More rebates are available for heat pumps:

BC Hydro

BCHydro is offering several rebates and free offers for making smart energy choices. Get up to $2000 in rebates for upgrading your existing space heating system with a more efficient heat pump. Heat pumps move heat from one place to another, as opposed to converting fuel or electricity into heat like electric furnaces or baseboard heaters. Plus, enjoy the added benefit of A/C in our increasingly hot summers.

You can also get up to $1200 for new insulation in attics, exterior walls and more, as well as up to $2000 for installing energy-efficient windows and exterior doors. Upgrading insulation like this will help prevent drafts and save energy, reducing your costs and potentially helping you qualify for a heat pump.

CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program

Based on your household income, the CleanBC Better Homes Energy Savings Program (formerly the Income Qualified Program) offers enhanced rebates to make energy-saving home upgrades more affordable.

Up to $19,000 in heat pump rebates and up to $5000 towards electrical service upgrades
Who Can Apply: B.C. citizens who live in an eligible home, meet income qualification requirements, and have residential utility accounts with BC Hydro, FortisBC, or municipal utility
The application and supporting documentation must be submitted by the program registered contractor within six (6) months of the invoice date

For assistance with this program, contact an Energy Saving Program Energy Coach by email at betterhomesESP@clearesult.com or by phone at 1-833-856-0333.

Current air quality data:

PurpleAir meters are a citizen science initiative, that allow you to check the current air quality at many locations around the world. We currently have six purple air meters around the Golden area, check out the map here for real time data. You can also compare monthly or yearly averages across different towns and cities within the province, country or globe!

Wildsight Golden recently purchased three more PurpleAir meters for the community. These will be given out at our upcoming AGM (March 4th) as door prizes. Click here to buy a PurpleAir meter.

Thank you to Columbia Basin Trust Technology Grant and all the participants in this program.